05/07/2012 By Contributor Dream StoriesLast updated on September 30, 2012

Travel to Alaska: My Top 8 Alaska Adventure Destinations

As I write to you now, I am living one of my travel dreams–venturing throughout southeastern Alaska today and for the past two weeks.

To say my journeys here in Alaska have been “amazing” is really an understatement. My time here has been adventurous and filled with awe-inspiring scenery and eye-opening experiences–those of which I want to share with you.

They say Alaska is the “state of superlatives.”

The biggest this, the largest that, the only one and so on. But this quiet and unpretentious state, which is 2,261 miles wide and 1,420 miles long, won’t brag or boost for a second about how much it can offer its visitors and residents alike. I know my photos and words alone won’t give the last frontier the justice it deserves.

But what I can do is offer my top picks and recommendations for giving you a little taste of everything. And since Alaska is so big, even I couldn’t get to everything I wanted to get to in the two weeks I spent there. That’s always a good excuse for me to go back to see Denali, Fairbanks and the “panhandle.”

1. Anchorage

Like most Alaskan travelers, I started my trip in Anchorage. It’s the largest city in the state and the main airport hub for major airlines coming into the state. This small town of 200K residents has enough to offer for a few-day’s-buffer for starting or ending your trip.

The easy-to-navigate downtown area offers everything from world-class dining and views of the ocean and midnight sun sunsets from the top of the four-star Captain Cook Hotel to the hangover cure breakfast of champions at Humpy’s restaurant where you can get salmon eggs benedict and build-your-own bloody Mary’s with Alaska Distillery Smoked Salmon Vodka.

2. Eklutna Lake

Only an hour or so away from Anchorage, this spot offers great hiking, biking, camping and kayaking beside a natural glacial lake. For directions, check out the state park website for Eklutna Lake.

3. & 4. Seward and Kenai Fjords National Park

Seward is currently up for the “best fishing town in the world” vote, if that doesn’t tell you enough right there. This clean and cozy coastal town on the Kenai Peninsula is a launching pad for some of the best views, fishing and boat trips for wildlife in the state.

I went on the Gray Whale Migration boat trip and saw tons of bald eagles, birds, sea lions, sea otters, porpoises and a few whales flips their tails and enormous bodies out of the water. Unreal. More about the boat tours: Kenai Fjords Tours.

These boat tours can bring you up close and personal with the Kenai Fjords National Park. From their website:

Where Mountains, Ice, and Ocean Meet

At the edge of the Kenai Peninsula lies a land where the ice age lingers. Nearly 40 glaciers flow from the Harding Icefield, Kenai Fjords’ crowning feature. Wildlife thrives in icy waters and lush forests around this vast expanse of ice.

5. & 6. Girdwood and Alyeska

Girdwood is a small town and Alyeska is a ski resort and hotel located within it. Girdwood is known for being a small scenic and slightly hippie-esque town. The hikes are beautiful. The people are friendly. And the food is tasty. Normally I would have skied this place, but we happened to stop by when a snowmachining competition was taking place.

So when in Rome . . .

7. Homer

Located about five hours south of Alaska’s largest city, Anchorage, Homer claims the prize as the “halibut fishing capital of the world.” It’s a quirky, ecclectic fishing town that’s located off the coast of the Ketchemak Bay. You get water views surrounded on all four sides by snow-capped mountains.

8. Seldovia

This little village, which is tucked away on the Seldovia Bay, is accessible by boat or plane and located across the Ketchemak Bay from Homer, Alaska. The town holds about 250 residents up until the summer when the population swells to just about 2,000 people. The town is secluded, charming and filled with rich history.

When are you planing your own dream travel adventure? Soon?

Katie

In the next couple of weeks I’ll be sharing some big changes and how one big dream has very recently come true for me. Dreaming and looking for the right dream really does work my friends.

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When you look back on how much you acomplised your dreams I think you will be amazed and impressed. Just love your travel posts and photographs. You are an inspiration to all dreamers to somehow find a way to “do it.”